Togo, France lead international drive for peace in the Great Lakes region
Tuesday, 04 November 2025 19:26 
(Togo First) - On October 30, Paris hosted an international conference co-organized by France and Togo to advance peace in Africa’s Great Lakes region. The event brought together numerous heads of state and representatives from international organizations, including the United Nations.
The meeting was co-chaired by Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé and French President Emmanuel Macron, in the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Congolese President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi. Nearly 70 senior envoys from countries such as the United States, Qatar, Rwanda, Angola, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, and several European and Asian nations took part in the discussions.
Talks focused on addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Great Lakes region and establishing a framework for lasting peace. As the African Union’s appointed mediator in the Congolese conflict, Faure Gnassingbé called for a unified African strategy centered on development and reforming aid mechanisms.
“The humanitarian emergency now requires a durable and integrated response—and that response must be African,” he said. “Humanitarian aid should evolve into a development fund. Africa must take part in its own humanitarian effort, not only out of moral duty but also for dignity and effectiveness. Our states must co-finance the program.”
He also emphasized strengthening the role of regional bodies such as the African Union and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region in managing the crisis. “The governance of this humanitarian response must also be African. Beyond financing, Africa must lead coordination, planning, and oversight,” he added.
Gnassingbé further stressed that lasting peace depends on economic justice and the recovery of territories affected by conflict and illegal resource exploitation. “By restoring a transparent and legitimate economy, we will cut off the flows that fund violence,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Togo’s initiative and endorsed Africa’s leadership in peacebuilding. “I want to emphasize how important African control is and how relevant President Faure’s approach is under the African Union’s mediation. We believe in this approach, as demanding as it may be,” Macron said.
